When it really happens: SHTF...

[Flying10uk]

My main concern is other family members, getting the virus, currently living in the same house as myself who I would class as "vulnerable" and "extremely vulnerable" and that is why I insist that they stay more than 2m away from me inside my own house. When this is all over I don't want to find that I have lost all or most of my immediate family. My line of thought is that at some point I will get the "virus" but I need to try and delay it as long as possible when, hopefully, the treatments are better.

Thinking of possible ways of reducing or delaying the risk of getting the virus, I thought that somewhere where perhaps I should wear protection is my local supermarket when I buy my groceries. Personally I would be perfectly happy to walk into my local supermarket in a full NBC suit and respirator, carrying my shopping basket but I did wonder if this may alarm others. Short of wearing a full NBC suit or a Hazmat suit, to do my grocery shopping, the other alternative that I came up with was to wear the respirator that normally I use for spray painting that has both charcoal and P3 filters but no eye protection. However, I did still wonder if wearing a full blown respirator to do one's shopping may alarm other shoppers and, therefore, there was only one way to find out if it would be acceptable to the shop, to ask.

I entered the supermarket, with respirator stowed in backpack, and made for "customer services". I explained the current situation in my household to the young chap behind the counter of "customer services", expressed my concerns and then said "Would it be acceptable to this store if the next time that I come in to do my grocery shopping, I have the option of wearing a respirator and not just a dust mask but a full-blown respirator, which covers the mouth and nose but not the eyes? The shop employee replied "I'm not entirely sure what you mean by "respirator"." I replied "I'm not intending to wear full NBC protective equipment or a Hazmat suit just to do my shopping but I was wondering if it would be ok to wear the sort of respirator that you may wear to spay a car or do spray painting with certain types of paint." I then added that "I'm not intending to also spray a car while I'm in here to do my grocery shopping." The assistant then replied "I'd better ask my manager" and so the assistant phoned the manager and described the respirator to the manager after I had shown it to the assistant. The man from Del-monte (the shop manager) finally said yes it would be ok to wear a proper respirator to do one's shopping.

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[Ovidio]

I replied "I'm not intending to wear full NBC protective equipment or a Hazmat suit just to do my shopping but I was wondering if it would be ok to wear the sort of respirator that you may wear to spay a car or do spray painting with certain types of paint." I then added that "I'm not intending to also spray a car while I'm in here to do my grocery shopping." The assistant then replied "I'd better ask my manager"

Did you intentionally try and get him confused?

I can relate with your fears of infecting family members. If I had elder or people at home with weak immune-system, I'd be very concerned myself.
Ideally, you should live completely confined from each other, even at home. But that may be of extreme difficulty or right out impossible, if the house does not allow it.

Concerning us here in Italy, the situation is tragic, but not serious...
The government keeps changing or talking about changing the list of factories and activities allowed to stay open. They don't know that a factory has a loooong chain of suppliers to keep on working. It can happen when the majority of the so-called leaders have never worked one single day in their whole lives...
Yesterday we wrote a couple dozen letters for the authorities confirming that we can work, actually have to work, and that each of the companies listed in our letters was of crucial importance to us as sub-suppliers, so they also had to be allowed working. Let's see how this one develops...
On the other hand, lots of Cattocommunists (we call those good souls - snowflakes - who think or believe that money is the devil's manure (usually other people's money, not their own) like this, because they are either hyper catholic, without understanding the message, or they are hyper leftist/communists, who don't understand reality, or...both. The absolutely worst ones) are now pushing the unions to start striking against factories that keep up the work. Damned capitalists!!! Damned industrialists!!! Damned private entrepreneurs!!!
I wonder how they think that the system could keep running if some categories started to pull back. And the others? Are they stupid or did they just have the bad luck of getting the wrong job?
In this situation, realism is of utter importance. Political or ideological visions need to be put aside. There is a complex machine that needs to be slowly, gradually slowed down, without shocks, in order to allow it to keep people fed, medically treated, supplied with fuel, water, electricity, good information... and to re-start immediately after the storm.
This requires many of us to keep working. And to do it according to the best possible safety and hygienic measures.
Yesterday I had to go to the factory and follow a test on a machine, not ideal for sanitary reasons, but it is necessary. The guys in the workshop go every day, so why should I pull back? What would the reaction of those other guys be if one who has responsibility suddenly just abandoned the fray? They understand that I'm not considered necessary in the factory, so I have been requested to stay home. But some activities still require my presence, and I have and want to go. If I started pulling back, what would I be in their (and worst of all in my own) eyes?

Another very interesting development of these last three to four days was that we received support from:
- China
- Russia
- Venezuela
- Cuba
- USA (through an NGO)
Czech Republic seized the masks and other items for personal safety that we ordered, releasing them only after diplomatic pressure.
Germany did the same last week.
Turkey too.
Others I can't recall right now did the same as well.
The EU talks of debts, of troikas, of reduced sovereignty for the indebted states, and so on. We wasted a lot and we will have to pay for that, but now they should think of the people, they should help the countries under stress. No...

We haven't seen a single international NGO, with the American exception, help. Not even our own, with the exception of those from military corps (like the Alpini, as usual) or non-political organisations.
All the good souls who spit on us in the past years because of the attempted limitation of illegal immigration have vanished or just keep bringing immigrants to Italy. But don't help. Not at all. Don't even say a word of solidarity.
Probably Italians do not earn their solidarity. They can die.
We'll remember them all.

Now, what will the above listed countries suggest as payback after the crises? I'm sure of what China will ask for. 5G, Road and Belt Initiative, etc. They'll try to buy all possible infrastructures here and force us to back them in the UN for every kind of initiative.
Russia? They will get the international restrictions unilaterally lifted by Italy? Might be a good thing, but should be decided by the parliament, in a free and debated manner. Won't be the case. And, also they, support in the international organisations.
Cuba and Venezuela? Silence about their crimes against their own people? Lifting of embargoes. Back-up at the UN? Again?

I wish the EU would have shown they understood why they exist, what the spirit of the founding fathers was. But they are probably so self-centred that they keep running at full speed against the big wall that is rising in front of them. Bureaucrats are just a different kind of people... Once the Europeans will have seen what the dream developed into, there will be consequences.

Here everything is quiet. People are in complete lock-down. I can go and buy at the small local grocery shop walking or take the car and drive to the supermarket. But I can't leave my small community boundaries if not for going to work.
No real problems anywhere I can see or hear about.
Yesterday, at noon, I went to the local shop and had just two people ahead of me.
Bread, milk, flour, eggs, sauces, salami and ham, gastronomic specialties... Everything available in the usual quantities.
I'm missing a beer, sincerely. I don't want to drive to the supermarket just for booze, so I have to drink water for thirst and have plenty of wine, Prosecco and Grappa for pleasure.
The situation is still tenable.
DEFCON stays stable at three

I'm just writing down the feelings I have hearing news that don't really inform, hearing people talk without any possibility of knowing how competent they are.
We still do not have a clue of when life might start getting, progressively, back to what it was.
I keep the mood up and today I'll reload some .357M, but with light load. Target rounds.
I'll need them sooner or later!

[22SqnRAE]

I'm missing a beer, sincerely. I don't want to drive to the supermarket just for booze, so I have to drink water for thirst and have plenty of wine, Prosecco and Grappa for pleasure.
The situation is still tenable.!

Well, Ovidio, I can feel your pain. Beer, yep, one needs a few on hand and well chilled. Even those Italian ones in a time of crisis...

Grappa, you're sitting pretty there.

But prosecco… Really, man, have you allowed your standards to evaporate in this situation? Good heavens above, if nothing else, the French do still make champagne!

Self esteem, man. Chin up and sort out those bubbles!